Geranium plant named ‘Duebus’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Duebus’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; and red purple-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium peltatum cultivar ‘Duebus’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duebus’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with attractive flowerand foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code numberD-08-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code numberF-12-009, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar‘Duebus’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny from this cross in a controlled environment inRheinberg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingstaken at Rheinberg, Germany has shown that the unique features of thisnew Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duebus’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duebus’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely basal branching habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Red purple-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection D-08-001, plantsof the new Ivy Geranium have darker red purple-colored flowers. Comparedto plants of the male parent, the selection F-12-009, plants of the newIvy Geranium have lighter red purple-colored flowers.

The new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar‘Fiscomedy’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,394. However, inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of thenew Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Fiscomedy’ in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more compact than plants of thecultivar ‘Fiscomedy’.

2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Fiscomedy’.

3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had more flowers per umbel than plantsof the cultivar ‘Fiscomedy’.

4. Flower color of the new Ivy Geranium was red purple whereas flowercolor of the cultivar ‘Fiscomedy’ was blue purple.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises atop perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Duebus’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Duebus’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the spring undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown with three plants per container. Plants were abouteight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailedbotanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar ‘Duebus’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identifiedas code number D-08-001, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified ascode number F-12-009, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; denselyfoliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching,about four or five lateral branches.

Plant height.—About 18 cm.

Plant width.—About 12 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Internode length: About 3 cm.Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About five. Length: About 6 cm. Width: About 6.9 cm.Shape: Reniform. Apex: Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Entire. Venationpattern: Palmate. Texture: Upper surface, smooth; lower surface,pubescent. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A;no distinct zonation pattern. Young and fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 144A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Petiole:Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color, upper and lowersurfaces: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Red purple-colored flowers arranged in roundedhemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayedabove the foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form. Umbelspersistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have aboutfive open and developing umbels with about 15 flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring through summer.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 9 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 144A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width:About 1.4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening,upper surface: 57A; towards base, 53A. When opening, lower surface: 52B;towards base, 53A. Fully opened, upper surface: 57B; towards base, 53A;color does not fade with subsequent development. Fully opened, lowersurface: 52B; towards base, 53A. Venation, upper surface: 57B. Venation,lower surface: 52B.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About twelve. Length: About 2.8 cm.Width: About 1.4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: 57A; towards base, 53A. When opening, lowersurface: 52B; towards base, 53A. Fully opened, upper surface: 57B;towards base, 53A; color does not fade with subsequent development.Fully opened, lower surface: 52B; towards base, 53A. Venation, uppersurface: 57B. Venation, lower surface: 52B.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length:About 1.3 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex:Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 13.5 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm.Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About1 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent.Color: 144A overlain with 178A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: About five.Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 60A.Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantityper flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,star-shaped. Stigma color: 45A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:2D. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy Geraniums.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plantnamed